Wichita eagle., 1887-04-14
WAR PANORAMAS.
METHODS BY WHICH A GREAT BAT
TILE PAINTING is MADE.
Work That Calls for Careful Judgment
and Much Artistic Skill-Painting .
Cavalry Officer-Curiosity of Visitors.
Ir

Work That Calls for Careful judgment
and Much Artistic Skill-Painting =
Cavalry Oficer-Curiosity of Visitors.
An Old Lady.
When a battle panorama or cyclorana
is to be set up the material for the fore
ground is always prepared before the re-
ceipt of the picture. The chief artist and
the mechanical constructor have superin-
tended the construction of the platforms,
following the irregular line indicated both
on the first lrawing and the panorama.
All the lumber that is used is treated
with composition Of silicate, to keep out
moisture and to make il fire proof. Hun
dreds Of loads Of earth have been carted
into the building; quantities CT lumber,
trees both living and dead, together with
collection Of fence rails, bushes, sods,
logs, sand and variety OF camp equipaSe
are piled about ready for use. The plat
forms are the groundwork for the earth
and sod, which are very skillfuly joined
to their painted cmblances on the canvas;
bushes and trees are planted; earthworks
and log camps are built; everything is
done with careful intent to make the
foreground and painting appear as one
whole landscape, and SO to join the two
in meaning and color as to make it nearly
impossible for spectator to determine at
any point which is the real and which
the painted scene.
CAREFUL JUDGMENT NEEDED.
This work calls for very careful judg-
ment, as it is necessary to settle the exact
relation in size which real objects shall
bear to those in the painting. An ordl-
nary hat or cap placed upon the fore
ground near the canvas would seem pro-
digiOus. though the same hat thrown on
the ground near the platform occupied
by the spectator would not attract notice.
The entire foreground must therefore be
arranged to aid the perspective OF the
painting so that when the panorama IS
ready for exhibition even the artist who
| has constantly labored to attain that very
result finds difficulty in realizing that the
scene spread before him i3 painted
upon canvas which hangs vertically but
| forty feet distant from his eye.
The central platform is of course the
| standpoint from which visitors Will view
| the panorama-and therefore the artists
are obliged TO go to it frequently as the
painting nears completion in order TO OBJ
| serve the effect and progress OF Their
work, The floor of the platform is chalked
| and rechalked with diagrams, some re-
| felring to the panorama itself, but more
! toillustrate occurrences upon other leldS
| The strong pine rail surrounding the plat
| form is penciled all over with kindred
| decorations, while scraps of paper on
which are memoranda of incidents and
variety of data, as well as names and adj
| Dire 9scs, are pinned to the convenient tim
| Der with thumb tackS.
The artists paint steadily, every individ
ual being mainly occupied in perfectinG
! his own work, though never hesltatine
| to ask or extend aid in some special dlrec
| ton. One artist, for instance, has an cX
| cellent figure of a mounted officer, all com
plete excepting the portrait, a photograph
! for which is pinned to the canvas. While
this artist goes to strengthen line o
battle another one will rapidly paint il
an admirable portrait for the incomplete
| figure. Soon another brush is busy will
| the horse, while still another artist call:
for some special saddle and bride to bt
brought to The platform that he ma.
paint the trappings.
| PINNED TO THE CANVAS.
Now lool; at the back of the photograph
which is pinned to the canvass fade(
carte de visitc Of young officer; upon 1
slip of paper we read the following: "Col
| X, now on Gen. SSleridau's staff; theI
captain, Gen. Thomas staff. II Az (mean
ing the section II, square II, Of the PIANO
rama); French cap, blouse, captain
straps-staf-dGr blue trowsers, gol'
cord, cavalry staff sword, Mcclellan sad
! die: shabrach-blacll horse; see sketch.
This instance will give an idea Of tn
way in which facts are preserved when
| panorama is painted by artists who con
| scientiously strive to make OF the WORK
great historical painting.
The question is frequently asked
''What paints do the artists use in paint
ing the battle panoramas:" Only color
Of the best quality are used, such as ar
used by an artist in his work upon fin
oil painting. The color is OF course pun
chased in very large quantities: rs an III
stance, for the panorama i'll which | wa
| interested the rich yellowish paint know
as cadmium cost $500, and was containe
! in four tin cans, each the size OF an ord
| nary peach can.
The curiosity of visitors to the yariOu
great battle panoramas seems to have n
| end. Many suspect that an imnenS
plate Of glass is placed between the spec
tator and the canvas; and some person
have even thrown objects with sGiiicien
force to go thrice the distance from til
platform to the canvas for the purpose
as they said, of testing the glass. Q
course there is no glass nor any Othe
means Of deception than the simple al
ranGement here described. The larges
| figures on the canvas are between thrc
and four feet high, though they seem t
be full life size.
A certain inquisitive old lady yisitin
one Of TIE earliest Of these panoranas-
1.-The Battle OF Sedan"-helped hcrsel
over the platform rail by means Of cou
venient chairs and trotted down an cart
road leading from the platform TO tn
canvas, whcrc-alongside the painte
frures-sie looked like Gulliyer's wif
among the Lilliputians. why! Oh
N.Y. she exclaimed, ''look al these dea
little men! They are only so big." hold
ing ND her parasol near a painted grou
Of German soldiers which looked Tx
dwarfs beside her. Great laughter greete
her return to the platform, where she rt
marked: "Oh, my! how they do gro'
when yoU get back, away from them,
And this is the whole secret OF the effeC
produced upon the spectator.
Z. Davis il ST Nicholas.
The Bones Of A. T. Stewart.
Mrs Stewart gave S25,0o0 instead o
the so, COO at first demanded. The bar